Libraries and Amazon

There has been quite a bit of media coverage and speculation about Amazon’s new Kindle Unlimited monthly subscription service and how it might affect libraries.

This is not the first service like this. Take a look at Oyster and Scribd. Amazon’s service is the biggest, most well known and it is the company that won’t hesitate to take a loss to establish its presence in the subscription market.

No one organization can compete with Amazon and in the case of libraries, that really isn’t the intent. We are doing what we have always done. We are buying stories and information our communities want and making sure everyone has an opportunity to read them if they wish.

We can always learn from Amazon, especially how they make access to books and reading convenient, easy and immediate. We also know that libraries are more than the books or ebooks they circulate.